Leaked U.S. government cables revealed that senior lawyer Afe Babalola paid at least $1.125 million in bribes to five judges on the Court of Appeal in the early 2000s to secure a favorable judgment for his client, then-Adamawa Governor Boni Haruna.
According to classified U.S. intelligence published by Wikileaks, Mr. Babalola paid $225,000 to each judge on a panel led by Justice Pius Olayiwola Aderemi to overturn an election tribunal’s decision that had nullified Mr. Haruna’s victory due to electoral malpractice.
The document detailed how a senior lawyer, who worked closely with Mr. Babalola, recounted delivering tens of millions of naira in cash to appellate judges to influence their decision.
The lawyer revealed that he personally transported N30 million in untraceable banknotes to bribe the judges on Mr. Babalola’s behalf.
Mr. Babalola, 93, was renowned for his courtroom successes during his career, earning him a reputation that attracted high-profile clients, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, governors, and other prominent figures.
However, the source disclosed to U.S. diplomats that Mr. Babalola’s victory in the contentious case relied on financial inducements rather than legal merit.
U.S. diplomats expressed concern over the stark contrast between the tribunal’s decision to annul Mr. Haruna’s election and the appellate court’s ruling that reinstated him, highlighting the troubling influence of corruption on Nigeria’s judicial system.
“The verdicts of the appeals court and the election tribunal differed so significantly on their findings of the relevant facts that they beg the question of whether one verdict or the other may have been ‘influenced’ by outside parties,” the foreign cable stated.
When the witness’ testimony confirmed their suspicions that N30 million was the cost of the ruling that reinstated Mr. Haruna’s governorship victory, the diplomats concluded that “it was the usual procedure” for significant cases in Nigeria.
“According to an attorney for Haruna, the outcome was ensured in typical Nigerian fashion: with cash,” stated the leaked U.S. government cable. “The attorney, who works for Presidential attorney Afe Babalola, said that when President Obasanjo sent Babalola to take over the appeal, he also sent cash to be used for the appeal.”
Mr. Haruna was one of the first governors to face corruption charges from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after leaving office in 2008.
Mr. Babalola declined to comment on the classified U.S. cable to clarify its contents.
The release of the Wikileaks documents has dashed any hopes Mr. Babalola might have had of defending himself against the corruption accusations made by rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, 56.
In his book, Farotimi accused the senior advocate of purchasing verdicts with money rather than relying on merit-based arguments.
In addition to this, Mr. Babalola used the police to violently arrest and detain Mr. Farotimi on December 3 over a defamation claim.
The rights lawyer was then transported from Lagos to Ekiti where the nonagenarian holds considerable power in a grueling five-hour road journey.
Nigerians expressed outrage over Mr. Babalola’s use of such heavy-handed methods to silence his younger colleague over what should have been a civil matter, which could have been settled in court.
The nonagenarian vehemently denies the corruption allegations and has vowed to clear his name. His supporters are calling on Mr. Farotimi to apologize, retract the accusations, and let the matter rest.
However, Farotimi’s supporters have stated that they hope the rights lawyer will not entertain such a request, given the brutal treatment he has already endured.
The controversy surrounding the book, which initially saw low sales after its release in July, has now turned it into a bestseller on Amazon, following Farotimi’s incarceration.
Curious Nigerians flooded the site to purchase copies of the book to read the damning corruption claims against Mr. Babalola.
The book has also sold out at popular stores like Tinu-Ade Bookshop in Ibadan and VIC Bookstore in Abuja, where many Nigerians have flocked to buy it.
Supporters of the author are organizing protests in various locations, including Abuja, Lagos, Ekiti, and at King’s College London, which received a £10 million donation from Mr. Babalola in 2023.
These demonstrations aim to highlight the deteriorating state of freedom in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
(Peoplesgazette)
